Top ten products to tame those curls

Having curly hair is definitely easier now than in the noughties, when the only style to be seen was poker straight. Embracing your natural curl is finally in (hooray!). But that doesn’t mean the everyday reality is simple. Those of us blessed with spirals and waves know that the slightest imbalance in the Earth’s magnetic field can take you from glossy curls to Monica Gellar in Barbados.There are so many products to help you tame those curls. But knowing which ones actually WORK is a different story all together. Here’s a round-up of our favourite and most effective beauty products for maintaining those gorgeous curls:

All Beauty, Joico curl nourished conditioner, £11.95 The number one rule with curly hair is keeping it moisturised – curly hair is naturally drier than straight hair. This salon-quality conditioner is lightweight and packed full of Avocado, Babassu, and Camelina Oils. It’s not the cheapest, but it is possible to buy it by the litre online and those bottles last FOREVER. Besides which, if you get your basics right, you can afford to spend a little less on styling products.

Boots, L’Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil Curl Nourishment Conditioner, £4.65Co-washing – basically, washing your hair with conditioner rather than a shampoo – has grown in popularity, especially for those with textured dry hair. It’s not recommended that you simply lather on your usual conditioner, as this can make the roots very greasy. Instead, try this specially designed conditioner in place of your usual shampoo and see the results for yourself.

Superdrug, Herbal Essences Daily Detox Shampoo, £3.99If you choose a traditional shampoo, make it something mild and free of the bad stuff, like sulfates and silicon. This one is designed to be used every day but – top tip – try to limit how often you wash your hair: curly hair needs all of the oils it can get. Using this shampoo 2 or 3 times a week should keep your curls clean and healthy. Plus, it smells amazing and it’s incredibly cheap!

Wilko, Wide-toothed comb, £1The cardinal rule of curls is that you should never, ever, ever brush it. You’ll break up the curl pattern and cause breakages. The best advice is to use a simple wide-toothed comb like this in the shower to help distribute your conditioner and detangle, and then simply finger-comb your hair in between washes. This one even comes with a hook to hang it in the shower! The Ordinary, 100% Cold-Pressed Virgin Marula Oil, £8.10The Ordinary is a cult brand whose products regularly sell-out within minutes of restocking.

Their mission is to create top quality products at bargain prices by eschewing fancy packaging and expensive adverts. This oil can be used on hair and skin and you’ll only need the tiniest amount. In my experience, it helps to seal off the hair cuticle from the hair to prevent frizz. It’s also good for flyaway hair, lending it some weight without becoming sticky.Bumble and bumble, Don’t Blow It hair styler (available for thick and fine hair), £24 We all know that heat damages our hair, and curly hair is already dry enough without bombarding it on a daily basis. This mid-priced crème does all of the things you’d want in a styler, helping to preserve your curl and nourish your hair at the same time. It’s definitely one for the summer, when air-drying becomes much more attractive, and the price tag isn’t too hefty when you consider that I’ve been using the same tube for over a year now! Sainsbury's, Dirty Works Hair Turban, £4Frizz happens when moisture gets into the hair follicle, puffing it up, and we already know how much curly hair craves moisture. Once you’ve put on your styling products, the ideal is to get your hair dry as fast as possible without sapping any more moisture out of it. Enter the microfiber hair turban, which will get your hair dry without additional heat. And you’ll look kind of 1950s at the same time, so why wouldn’t you want to?Bumble and bumble, Curl Pre-Style/Re-Style Primer, £21Okay, so I’m a B&b fangirl, but it’s only because their products have proved to be so good. This one tackles that awkward second-day hair, because I can’t be the only person who has washed their hair when it didn’t really need it just to try to ‘reset’ the curl. Spraying this over your hair reactivates the products and your hair’s natural curl, so you can have curly hair every day, even when you don’t have time to wash it.The Body Shop, Banana Truly Nourishing Hair Mask, £12By now, you should have gathered how looking after curly hair is all about moisturising and conditioning the hair follicle. A regular hair mask like this one will give your hair a shot of extra moisture to help keep it in top condition, and this smells AMAZING!Boots, Lee Stafford Shine Head Spray Shine, £2.19Because of the way it twists, curly hair can often appear dull as it doesn’t reflect light as well as straight hair. Give it a helping hand by using a shine spray like this to finish off your style and you’ll be all good to go with your fresh curls! Have you found any products that work for your curly hair? Let us know in the comments!